WWE's Attitude Era during the late 1990s kick-started many successful wrestling characters that fans, to this day, remember fondly. Even wrestling characters who were never main-event superstars made a name for themselves in one of the hottest periods in professional wrestling. One of those very wrestlers that fit the criteria is the vampire-like individual Gangrel, best known for his formation of The Brood, as it became among the beloved acts of the Attitude Era. Furthermore, although Gangrel's run during the Attitude Era only lasted a few years, he made a short return to WWE TV in 2004, targeting The Undertaker on behalf of JBL.
Gangrel And The Ministry Of Darkness
Gangrel may not be the most successful WWE superstar, but he, along with Edge and Christian, contributed to a beloved act of the Attitude Era. The Brood were a gothic-type trio, giving "bloodbaths" to their opponents. Gangrel served a crucial role in the three appearing like vampires and thriving as over-the-top personalities.
When characters became more valued in the business, Gangrel and the rest of The Brood successfully used the opportunity to achieve in that very generation of wrestling. The success of The Brood has even influenced this current generation of wrestling to some degree. One can look at Edge's nostalgic run in WWE and the Judgment Day faction as an example of being influenced heavily by The Brood.
Gangrel also has an on-screen history with The Undertaker during his association with The Brood. There was a time The Undertaker and Gangrel became allies when The Brood merged with The Ministry of Darkness in early 1999. Although the merging didn't last long, The Brood's association with the Ministry of Darkness made their entire act seem more special. And considering the success the Ministry of Darkness had, it helped build credibility for The Brood as Edge and Christian went on to bigger things in WWE.
It's worth noting that The Brood had some memorable moments regarding their alliance with The Ministry of Darkness, specifically The Undertaker. For instance, who could forget The Brood assisting The Undertaker in hanging Big Boss Man at WrestleMania 15 after defeating him in a Hell in a Cell match? There's a reason why Gangrel got involved in The Undertaker's business after returning in 2004.
Gangrel Returns To SmackDown In 2004
Fast-forward to mid-2004, during the early years of the Ruthless Aggression Era, The Undertaker had recently revived his Deadman gimmick after returning at WrestleMania 20. As he continued to be pushed as a main-event talent on the SmackDown brand, he began chasing after JBL and his WWE Championship in the fall of 2004. Because The Undertaker and JBL feuded for the WWE Championship, their "Ministry of Darkness" past was brought up.
The Undertaker's main-event feud with JBL eventually led to the return of Gangrel. After many years of being gone from the company, Gangrel wasn't the only one who returned to WWE, as Viscera also returned to the company. Gangrel and Viscera appeared on a September 2004 episode of Smackdown, laying waste to The Undertaker.
It turned out that Gangrel and Viscera were the hired guns of JBL, as they were set to face The Undertaker in a Handicap match on the fifth-anniversary edition of SmackDown. It looked as if The Undertaker had his work cut out for him, facing Gangrel and the massive Viscera in a two-on-one mismatch, while also having to deal with JBL's dirty tricks. However, in a Handicap match that lasted less than three minutes, The Undertaker easily defeated Gangrel and Viscera despite being outnumbered, scoring a win off of a Tombstone finisher to Gangrel.
Gangrel's Short Run During The Ruthless Aggression Era
Gangrel's WWE run in 2004 was only a few appearances on SmackDown, and that was it. However, over the next few years, Gangrel did get offered to wrestle in WWE in some capacity. For instance, after his short Ministry of Darkness reunion on SmackDown, Gangrel did wrestle for WWE's developmental from time to time over the next few years, although nothing came of it. He was also initially supposed to return for the relaunch of ECW in 2006, but it didn't come to fruition.
Even though Gangrel's WWE run in 2004 was forgotten by many, he and Viscera got to be in one of the most advertised matches on the fifth-anniversary edition of SmackDown. At least there was some level of nostalgia upon his return.